As part of the Morning Lazziness series highlighting empowering women who are making a remarkable impact with their ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lynne Walton.
Lynne Walton is the visionary founder and CEO of Access Intell, a rapidly growing fintech delivering powerful SaaS solutions for credit risk management. As an Insolvency Practitioner for fifteen years with Ernst & Young and KPMG in Scotland and BDO and PPB Advisory in Australia, Lynne witnessed firsthand the detrimental impact of bad debt on good businesses. She founded Access Intell with the objective of creating an affordable, quickly deployable, end-to-end credit management software solution. The Access Intell credit management platform helps businesses avoid bad debt and safely extend trade credit by approving creditworthy customers, registering security on PPSR, and monitoring customers for signs of risk. Lynne’s passion for empowering suppliers has led to the success of Access Intell and she continues to drive innovative technology adoption.
In this candid conversation, Lynne shares her journey, insights, and the strategies that have helped her build a results-driven business—and empower other entrepreneurs to do the same.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur in the Fintech industry, and what led to the creation of your current venture?
I was an experienced Insolvency Practitioner for fifteen years and witnessed firsthand the detrimental impact of bad debt on good businesses, which in most cases was easily avoidable. Realising I was playing for the wrong team, I left the insolvency profession with the primary goal to shield businesses from trade credit risk using the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). This was my first step towards what is now my passion – leveling the playing field for suppliers. I founded Access Intell with the objective of creating an affordable, quickly deployable, end-to-end credit management software solution.
As a woman in tech and entrepreneurship, what unique challenges have you faced, especially in the AI space, and how did you navigate them?
My background was in insolvency and the PPSR, not software. It’s been a big learning curve to understand the development process and the technical considerations of software. The challenge is to balance my vision with the practicalities of technology.
How do you manage the intense demands of building a Fintech business while maintaining personal well-being and balance?
Work-life balance is so important, and flexibility is a key priority for myself and my team. One of the things we do to connect, have a laugh, and get out of the office is to have a team bushwalk.
What networking strategies or communities have helped you most in building meaningful connections in the finance and tech ecosystem?
Building relationships is critical to our success. Events bring people together and I enjoy catching up and collaborating with like-minded people.
How do you approach mentorship—both receiving it and offering it—and how has that influenced your growth as a founder in this space?
I’ve joined several business growth initiatives, which have provided excellent mentoring opportunities. On the one hand I’ve received some fantastic mentoring from business specialists, and have also had the opportunity to provide mentoring in line with my strengths and experience. In my experience working alongside other founders going through similar challenges is inspiring and motivating.
What strategies have proven most effective in acquiring customers or clients for your product or service?
Never overlook the power of word of mouth, it is incredibly effective. Our clients love our product and our service, and that spreads. They often comment that our personalised and responsive service is something you don’t get from larger organisations.
Which marketing techniques (digital, content, events, etc.) have worked best for your brand, and how do you measure their impact?
Events have been a fantastic way for us to network with not only potential clients but also others in the industry. Building trust in our brand has been so important, and the referrals we receive are testament to that impact.
Can you share a major setback or roadblock in your Fintech startup journey, and how you strategically overcame it?
The biggest breakthrough moment in my founder journey was learning to talk in customer language and to their pain points rather than just about our product features. As great as our product features are, what customers really care about is outcomes.
What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to women who are just beginning their entrepreneurial journey in Fintech or emerging tech?
A piece of advice for women in fintech is to stay curious – whether with customers, prospects, developers, investors. Keep learning and ask questions to really uncover the insights needed to give your company momentum.
Is there a quote, mantra, or philosophy that consistently guides your decisions as a Fintech entrepreneur?
To have fun. Building a business has truly been an adventure and whilst it has its challenges, having fun along the way has always been my guide.
Here is our main question. “What Are The 5 Things You Need To Overcome Self-Doubt and Build Confidence?”
1. Ask questions and keep learning – having a deep understanding gives you confidence.
2. Have a point of view – and don’t be afraid to share it.
3. Keep going – learn from setbacks and failures and keep moving towards your goals.
4. Celebrate wins – both your own and your teams.
5. Challenge yourself – when self-doubt hits, question it and find a positive perspective.
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
A topic I’m passionate about is financial literacy for women, particularly for those rebuilding their lives after challenging circumstances. A way to easily provide the skills necessary to these women would be amazing.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Visit the Access Intell website or connect with me on LinkedIn.
